---
id: channels
title: Channel Configuration
sidebar_label: Channels
---

import Tabs from '@theme/Tabs';
import TabItem from '@theme/TabItem';

The Channels config options are: Index, Roles, and Settings. Channel config uses an admin message sending a `Channel` protobuf which also consists of a `ChannelSettings` protobuf.

:::info
**Channel Settings** (as described on this page) should not be confused with [LoRa Radio Settings](/docs/settings/config/lora)

[LoRa Radio Settings](/docs/settings/config/lora) contain the modem configuration (frequency settings, spreading factor, bandwidth, etc.) used for the radio. These settings are identical for all channels and can *not* be unique per channel. Radio settings are directly applied to the Primary channel from which all Secondary channels derive their radio settings.

**Channel Settings** contain information for segregating message groups, configuring optional encryption, and enabling or disabling messaging over internet gateways. These settings *are* unique and configurable per channel.
:::

## Channel Config Values

### Index

The channel index begins at 0 and ends at 7.

_Indexing_ can not be modified.

|        Index         |     Channel       | Default Role | Purpose | 
| :--------------------: | :----------------: | :----------------: | :----------------: |
| 0 | 1 | `PRIMARY` | Used as `default` channel |
| 1 | 2 | `DISABLED` | User defined |
| 2 | 3 | `DISABLED` | User defined |
| 3 | 4 | `DISABLED` | User defined |
| 4 | 5 | `DISABLED` | User defined |
| 5 | 6 | `DISABLED` | User defined |
| 6 | 7 | `DISABLED` | User defined |
| 7 | 8 | `SECONDARY` | Used as `admin` channel |

### Role

Each channel is assigned one of 3 roles:

1. `PRIMARY` or `1` 
	- This is the first channel that is created for you on initial setup.
	- Can not be disabled.
	- Only one primary channel can exist.
	- All secondary channels derive their [Radio Settings](/docs/settings/config/lora) from this channel. 
	- Direct messages are only available on this channel.
2. `SECONDARY` or `2`
	- Derives its [Radio Settings](/docs/settings/config/lora) from the primary channel.
	- Can modify the encryption key (psk).
3. `DISABLED` or `0` 
	- The channel is no longer available for use.
	- Channel Settings are cleared.

## Channel Settings Values

If a channel is disabled, all channel settings are set to default. Channel settings are unique per channel and consist of:

### ID

Used to construct a globally unique channel ID.

`0` by default for `default` channel.

The full globally unique ID will be `name.id` where ID is base36 encoded. Assuming that the number of Meshtastic users is below 20K (true for a long time) the chance of this 64 bit random number colliding with anyone else is super low. The penalty for collision is low as well.

### Name

A short identifier (< 12 bytes) for the channel.

Empty `""` by default for all channels. 

If this is left an empty string it is assumed that this channel is the `default` channel.

### PSK

The encryption key used for private channels.

Hex byte `0x01` for `default` channel.

Must be either 0 bytes (no crypto), 16 bytes (AES128), or 32 bytes (AES256).

### Downlink Enabled

If enabled, messages captured from a **public** internet gateway will be forwarded to the local mesh.

Set to `false` by default for all channels.

### Uplink Enabled

If enabled, messages from the mesh will be sent to the **public** internet through any node's configured gateway.

Set to `false` by default for all channels.

<Tabs
groupId="settings"
defaultValue="cli"
values={[
{label: 'Android', value: 'android'},
{label: 'Apple', value: 'apple'},
{label: 'CLI', value: 'cli'},
{label: 'Flasher', value: 'flasher'},
{label: 'Web', value: 'web'},
]}>

<TabItem value="android">

:::info
All Channel config options are available on Android.
:::

</TabItem>

<TabItem value="apple">

:::info
All Channel config options are available on iOS, iPadOS and macOS.
:::

</TabItem>

<TabItem value="cli">

All Channel config options are available in the python CLI. Example commands are below:

**Id**

```shell title="Set the PRIMARY channel ID"
meshtastic --ch-set id 1234 --ch-index 0
```

**Name**

```shell title="Set channel name for the PRIMARY channel"
# without spaces
meshtastic --ch-set name MyChannel --ch-index 0
# with spaces
meshtastic --ch-set name "My Channel" --ch-index 0
```

**PSK**

If you use Meshtastic for exchanging messages you don't want other people to see, `random` is the setting you should use. Selecting `default` or any of the `simple` values from the following table will use publicly known encryption keys. They're shipped with Meshtastic source code and thus, anyone can listen to messages encrypted by them. They're great for testing and public channels.

|        Setting         |                                       Behavior                                        |
| :--------------------: | :-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------: |
|         `none`         |                                  Disable Encryption                                   |
|       `default`        |                   Default Encryption (use the weak encryption key)                    |
|        `random`        | Generate a secure 256-bit encryption key. Use this setting for private communication. |
| `simple0`- `simple254` |                      Uses a single byte encoding for encryption                       |

```shell title="Set encryption to default on PRIMARY channel"
meshtastic --ch-set psk default --ch-index 0
```

```shell title="Set encryption to random on PRIMARY channel"
meshtastic --ch-set psk random --ch-index 0
```

```shell title="Set encryption to single byte  on PRIMARY channel"
meshtastic --ch-set psk simple15 --ch-index 0
```

```shell title="Set encryption to your own key on PRIMARY channel"
meshtastic --ch-set psk 0x1a1a1a1a2b2b2b2b1a1a1a1a2b2b2b2b1a1a1a1a2b2b2b2b1a1a1a1a2b2b2b2b --ch-index 0
```

```shell title="Disable encryption on PRIMARY channel"
meshtastic --ch-set psk none --ch-index 0
```

**Uplink / Downlink**

For configuring gateways, please see [MQTT](/docs/settings/moduleconfig/mqtt)

```shell title="Enable/Disable Uplink on PRIMARY channel"
meshtastic --ch-set uplink_enabled true --ch-index 0
meshtastic --ch-set uplink_enabled false --ch-index 0
```

```shell title="Enable/Disable Downlink on SECONDARY channel"
meshtastic --ch-set downlink_enabled true --ch-index 1
meshtastic --ch-set downlink_enabled false --ch-index 5
```

</TabItem>

<TabItem value="flasher">

:::info
All Channel config options are available in the Flasher.
:::

</TabItem>

<TabItem value="web">

:::info
All Channel config options are available in the Web UI.
:::

</TabItem>
</Tabs>